Cirò DOC Wine Region

Cirò claims the longest continuous winemaking history in Italy - the Gaglioppo grape was planted by Greek colonists and never stopped being cultivated. The terroir of ancient Krimisa (where Olympic athletes trained) now produces powerful reds from Calabria's signature grape.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Find the Wine That Olympic Champions Drank Wine · Price: low

   Ancient Greek Olympic gold medalists weren't handed medals - they were handed this wine.

   The ancient colony of Cremissa, now Cirò Marina, produced a wine called Krimisa that was awarded to Olympic gold medalists instead of - or alongside - laurel wreaths. When the 2004 Athens Olympics came around, someone remembered. Cirò Krimisa wines were presented to champions again, 2,500 years after the tradition began. Head to any wine shop or enoteca in Cirò Marina along the Ionian seafront (Corso Vittorio Emanuele III has several) and ask for a 'Cirò Rosso DOC Classico' - this is the direct descendant. The Classico zone is the historical heart, planted on limestone terraces above the sea. Smell it before you drink it: the aromatics of a grape called Gaglioppo - from the Greek 'Kalos Podos,' meaning 'beautiful foot,' for the shape of its cluster.

   Backup: Any Cirò DOC red label will work. Look for the word 'Gaglioppo' on the back label - it should be the primary grape.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Spot the Limestone Terraces Where the Greeks Planted Adventure · Free

   You cannot understand Cirò wine without standing in its terrain.

   Drive the SP27 road from Cirò Marina up toward Cirò village (about 12 km inland and uphill) and pull over at any viewpoint on the hairpin bends. You're looking at roughly 250,000 bottles of wine per year - that's the total annual production from the entire Cirò DOC. All from narrow terraces on limestone cliffs. The same cliffs Greek colonists from Sibari identified as ideal habitat when they arrived. Romans confirmed it. Byzantine monks confirmed it. Nobody has ever stopped growing Gaglioppo on this specific limestone. Look down the slope toward the Ionian Sea - the salt air you're breathing crosses those vines daily, creating the sea-cliff microclimate that gives Gaglioppo here its distinctive character and 10+ year aging potential.

   Backup: If driving isn't possible, the harbor at Cirò Marina faces the terraces - look east and upward from the seafront promenade for the vine-covered hillside.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Read the Back Label: Decode a 2,500-Year-Old Grape Name History · Free

   Every Cirò bottle carries ancient Greek linguistics on its back label.

   The word 'Gaglioppo' traces to the ancient Greek 'Kalos Podos' - 'beautiful foot,' a reference to the grape cluster's shape. This grape is genetically related to Sangiovese, but its name preserves a Greek description that predates the Roman Empire. With any Cirò bottle in hand, find 'Gaglioppo' on the label and say it aloud: Ga-li-O-po. That word was spoken on this coast 700 years before Christ. Check the alcohol percentage - Gaglioppo's high sugar levels push it typically to 13-14%. The ancient colonists who grew it in Cremissa named it in their language, and the name survived - through Latin, through medieval Italian dialects, into the word printed on every back label today. The Greeks knew exactly what they were giving their Olympic champions.

   Backup: Any Italian wine reference or the winery's own information card will confirm the Greek etymology. The Wine Scholar Guild has documented this specifically.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Librandi is the major producer

• Several small producers welcome visitors

• The terroir is genuinely ancient

• Gaglioppo needs food